Acetylene-gas generator.



No. 674,980. Patented May 2i8,v- I90I-. T. F. ouznnou.

ACETYLENE GAS GENERATOR. (Application filed Mar. 30, 1900.)

(No Model.)

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WITNESSES JNVENTOR.

.45. QM 4 I lw. ATTORNEY.

llNrrn STATES ATENT GFFICE.

THOMAS F. OI-IERRON, OF PRINCETON, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO THE DOUGHERTY-OTIERRON COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

ACETYLENE-GAS GEN ERATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 674,980, dated May 28, 1901. Application filed March 30, 1900. Serial No. 10,795- (No model.)

To (LZZ whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS F. OHERRON, of Princeton, county of Gibson and State of Indiana, haveinvented acertain new and useful AcetyleneGas Apparatus; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which like figures refer to like parts.

The object of this invention is to provide means whereby a plurality of generators are employed in an acetylene-gas apparatus for automatically causing said generators to operate in succession.

The advantage of such invention is that it enables one to provide means for the generation of gas through a considerable period of time without any attention. Thus in any given acetylene-gas apparatus by the mere addition of a second generator the period of operation of the apparatus without attention will be double, and with only a slight additional expense the capacity of any such apparatus can be doubled or multiplied. V

The means herein shown for carrying out this invention consists in means for switching the water-supply for the carbid-holders from one generator to another. The switch is operated by the overflow water from the carbid-holder after the carbid is consumed. Thus as soon as the generation of gas ceases in one generator the water is switched from that generator and introduced into the second generator, and then the second generator takes up the work of generating gas. This may be continued, as the number of generators may be multiplied to suit the require ments in any given case.

The full nature of myinvention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the description following of one form of device embodying my said invention, and the scope of said invention will be understood from the claims following said description.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective of an acetylene-gas plant. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the gas-receiver and vertical section between the generators, a part of the generator and a part of the gas-receiver be-. ing broken away.

In detail the construction herein shown for the purpose of disclosing the nature of my invention consists of a main tank 1, divided into upper and lower chambers by the partition 2. The upper chamber contains the bell-shaped gas-receiver 3, into which the gas as generated enters through the pipe 4:. Said pipe 4 likewise extends downward into the lower chamber 5, which is a water-chamber or condensing-chamber, receiving the overflow and the condensation that arises in the operation of the apparatus.

6 is the service-pipe, and 7 an open-air pipe.

8 is a guide for the vertical movement of the gas holder or receiver.

There are shown in the drawings herein two generators 9, secured in relation to the tank 1 by the blocks 10. A carbid-holder 12 is mounted in the upper portion of each generator, that herein shown being divided into sections. The gas formed passes down through the pipe 13, that connects with the pipe 4. The pipe 13 has a three-way valve 14, controlled by the rod 15, for closing said pipe 13 and opening into the horizontal portion of the air-pipe 7, which extends between the gas holder and generator parallel to the gas-pipe 13 and is connected with it through the casing of the valve 14:. Said valve-rod 15 is actuated when the lid 16 is removed for the purpose of charging the oarbid-holder.

17 is a water-pipe from any suitable source, that supplies water to the generators for the combustion of the carbid. It is provided with a valve 18., having a suitable operating double lever 19, that is engaged by a pinion on the rod 20, which is vertically reciprocated by the gas-holder 3 and the guide-tube 33. In this manner the supply of water to the carbid is regulated in amount.

When the carbid in one of the generators is consumed, the overflow water runs down through the pipe 13 and the lower end of the pipe 4 into the water or condensing chamber 5. The overflow-pipe 21 leads from the upper part of the Water-chamber 5.

The parts of the apparatus above described are old and constitute no part of my invention. My invention herein is applied to it for the sake of illustrating the nature of the by a double lever 25.

I have secured a bracket 26 on the end of the pipe 23, that carries the stationary pulley 27. On the end of said bracket a cable 28 is secured that extends down about pulley 29, that carries the hook 30, on which a bucket or other vessel31 is placed. The cable 28 extends back over the pulley 29 to one end of the lever 25, which actuates the three-way valve 24. The actuation of the three-way valve 24 switches the water-supply to only one of the pipes 22 and 23, as is desired, and the actuation of said three-way valve is effected by the weight of overflow on the waterbucket 31 acting through the cable 28 on the valve-lever 25. The water-pipes 32 lead from the outside pipes 22 and 23 into the generators up through the carbid-holder in order to discharge water on the carbid, as appears in Fig. 2.

The operation is as follows: Both generators are suitably charged with carbid and the valve 24 so set as to direct the water from the pipe 17 into only one of the generators. The cable 28 is then so connected with the valvelever 25 that when the bucket 31 becomes filled with water or nearly full its Weight will operate the valve-lever 25, and thus actuate the valve 24, which cuts 0% the Watersupply from the first generator and turns it into the second generator. This operation of the valve 24, however, does not occur until all the carbid in the first generator has been consumed. Then the flow of water into the carbid-holder in the first generator overflows through the pipe 13 into the water-chamber 5, and from that overflcws into the bucket 31, which when thus weighted actuates said valve. As soon as it is actuated and the water begins to flow in the second generator the formation of gas therein commences.

The cable 28 is attached to either end of the lever 25, depending upon the direction that it is desired for the valve 24 to operate, and that is dependent upon the generator into which it is desired to introduce the wa ter. As to this matter the machinery is set at the time of charging the carbid-holders.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an acetylene-gas apparatus, a plurality of generators provided with suitable carbidholders, a water-supply pipe having branch pipes to the carbid-holder in each generator, a valve at the junction of such branch pipes, that permits the passage of water through only one at a time, a chamber independent of said generators to receive the water overflow from the carbid-holders when the carbid therein has been consumed, a vessel into which the water flows from said chamber at a point above the water-inlet therein, and means for actuating said valve that is operated by said water-overflow vessel.

2. In an acetylene-gas apparatus, a plurality of generators provided with suitable carbid holders, a water-supply pipe having branch pipes to the carbid-holder in each generator, a valve at the junction of such branch pipes that permits the passage of water through only one at a time, a chamber independent of said generators, a pipe leading from each carbid-holder and extending into said chamber for conveying the water overflow from the carbid-holders when the carbid therein has been consumed, means for actuating said valve, a cable connected with said valve-actuating means, a vessel carried by said cable, and an outlet from said wateroverfiow chamber at a point above the outlet end of the pipe leading from the carbid-holders for conveying the water into said vessel to weight it and actuate said valve.

3. In an acetylene-gas apparatus, a main tank having agas-reservoir in the upper end and a water-chamberin the lower end, a plurality of generators with a carbid-holder in each, a water-overflow pipe leading from each carbid-holder to said water-tan k, a water-supply pi-pe with branches leading to the carbidholders, a valve at the junction of such branch pipes that permits the passage of Water through only one branch pipe at a time, a lever connected with said valve for operating it, a cable connected with said lever, a vessel supported bysaid cable, and means for conveying water from said water-tank into said vessel whereby the increased weightof said vessel will through said valve-lever actuate said valve and switch the water-supply to another carbid-holder.

In witness whereof Ihave hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of the witnesses herein named.

THOMAS F. OHERRON.

Witnesses:

ROLLIN BRANHAM, KENNETH D. BANKS. 

